Improvement in hoisting-apparatus



uiten faire gatmt @frn Letters .Patent No. 76,240, lelated M'arch 31, 1868; articulated March 25, 1868.

A IMPROVEMENT 1N HoIsTINc-APPARTUS'."

diluir Sthshul rlfsrrrt in in tlgrse Eaters tant nur making ,prut nf the simu.

To ALL 'WrioM IT MAYcoNcERN:

`Be it known that I, CHARLES R. O TIS, of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoisting-Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the 'following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

making a portion ofthis specification, -in which- Figure 1 is a plan view andpartial horizontal section of an apparatus constructed'accorcling to my invention.

Figure 2 `is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, taken in the line :u :v of fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section 'of the same, taken in the line z z of iig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates more especially to 'that class of elevators employed. in hotels and other buildings for raising cr lowering persons or materials from one ,story to another, and its object is to provide a means wherebythe moving platform of the apparatus, when checked in its descent by accidental or other causes, will be enabled to automatically stop the motion of the operating-drum, and thus prevent all liability of subsequent accident, which would otherwise be likelyto result from the continued unwindingiof the rope which sustains the aforesaid platform. i

The invention consists inso combining the aforesaid drum with a valve in the supply-pipe of a steam or other suitable engine, that when the drum is released from the tension of the suspending-rope, it will actuate the valve to stop the engine, and thus-prevent the further unwinding of the rope.

The invention further consists in the' operation, by similar means, of a friction-brake upon a suitable frictionwheel secured upon the shaft of the drum, whereby the more effectual retention of the drum in a fixed position,

when stopped, as just mentioned, is obtained.

The invention further consists in certain novel means of securing the most efficient operation of the leading features of the invention. i

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of my invention, I willproceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

The horizontal shaft A, supported in suitable bearings, is furnished at one end with a 'band-wheel, a, and at the otherwith a friction-wheel, b. This shaft is, furthermore, provided at its central part with an annular slide, a*, the inner end of which is inclined or caunshaped, and fits against a cylindrical enlargement, bl, formed upon the shaft, with its inner end corresponding in shape with that of thefslide just mentioned, in such manner that when the slidea* is turned with reference thereto, the cam-shaped ends just described will force the slide outward therefrom, to operate a sliding rod, c, which is situated in a central longitudinal slot in one end-portion ofthe aforesaid shaft, and is furnished with lateral spurs e, which project through suitable lateral slots in each shaft, as shown more fully infig. 1. The slide a* is formed with a radial arm, d, the outer end of which fits into 'a longitudinal guide, e, formed upon the inner surface of one side of the hollow drum B, which may be of any suitable construction, and .through the longitudinal axis of` which is passed the shaft A. Projecting from that end of the drum adjacent tothe band-wheel a, is a stud,f, which is acted upon to rotate the drum by means of a similar stud, fl, extending inward from the saidvband-wheel,

which is 'furthermore provided, at its inner side, with a curved spring, g, the extremity of which rests against.

the studfoi' the drum, and which, during the rotation thereof by means of the stud f*, as just mentioned, is held in a straight position, its extremity being clamped, as it were, between the two studs ffl, as indicated in dotted outline in g. 2. i i

lPivoted to a suitable supporting-bnr, g,` is a lever, h, the lower arm of which is situated in Vcontact with the cuter extremity of the sliding rod c of the shaft A, and the uppervarm of which is connected by a rod, h*, with a short lever, 71,',v attached to th-este'ln of a suitable valve, placed in the supplyhpipe A* of the engine, in such manner that the outward movement of the aforesaid" rod cwill operate to close the valve just mentioned, and thus stop the engine.'- i p The driving-shaft oi' the engine is yshown at t', and is provided withv ulpulley., e*, which rotates the band- 1wheel a, by means of a suitable band. Placed'around the periphery ol' the friction-wheel b isa friction-brake, formed by an elastic or flexible she'zetfmetal band, C,.the ends ot' which are' attached to two short arms, lr, o f

a loaded lever, D. A short horizontaliyi-rnoving lever, pivote'd upon asuitable upright, m', has its forward arm connected by a rod, m*, with the lever z. of the valve in the ksupply-pipe, in lsuch manner that when the saidvalve is opened, the rear 'end of the said lever 'in will be situated underneath the loaded lever D, to prevent the friction-band C from coming in frictional contact with the wheel b; and when the 'lever h is moved to close the valve, as hereinbefore described, the aforesaid rear end ofthe lever m will be brought away from the loaded lever, to allow the same to descend to tighten :the friction-hand .upon the friction-wheel, Vto-retain in a stationary position the .shaft A.

The verticallymoving platform of the apparatus is represented atfU, and slides between suitable vertical guides El, above which is situated a pulley, n. v.The `suspending-rope.F extends from a cross-bar, 11.*, secured to the upper ends of the vertical bars n of the platform E, over the pulley n., to the drum B, in such manner that the winding of the rope upon the drum will elevate the platform, and vice aerea. i A' i I In raising the platform, the drum B is rotated in the direction of the arrow,` shown' in fig. 2, by means of the band-wheel, as hereinbefore explained,`the said motion of thedrum being reversed in lowering the platform, the weight of which keeps the suspending-rope tense, and consequently holds the studsff'Jl pressed toward each other during such lowering-operation, except iny case the downward movement of the platform is stopped, as by some obstruction underneath the same, in the event of which, the spring g, assuming a curved form, turns the drum a portion of a revolution in advance of the movement of the band-wheel a, or, in other words, ofthe shaft A` which, moving the arm of the annular slide a*, turns the same'in such manner as to'be forced loutward, as hereinbefore explained, and, acting through the lever L and connectingwod L', operates the valve in the supply-pipe A* of the engine', to stop the said engine, thev same movement of the valve aforesaid causing lthe withdrawal of the rear endof the lever 'm from underneath the loaded lever D, whereupon the descent of the said loaded lever tightens lthe friction-band C upon the friction-wheel b, and thus insures the retention of the same in a fixed position, so that by these means any further unwinding of the rope is prevented, and any liability of the occurrence of accident in case of the sudden removal of the obstruction is effectnally provided against.

What claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. So combining the drum B with the steam-valve and friction-brake, that when released from the tension of the suspending-rope itshall automatically cut olf the steam from the engine and tighten'the brake against the wheel, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The studsff* and spring g, in combination with the band-Wheel a and drum B, whereby the drum is moved in advance of the band-wheely when released from the tension of the suspending-rope, substantially as herein set forth. l

3. The cam-faced annular slide a*, furnished with an arm, 0l, connected with the drum B, in combination with the cam-faced enlargement b of the shaft A, and the sliding rod c, whereby the turning ofthe aforesaid slide is caused lto operate the valve in the supply-pipe A*, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The rod m* and lever m, so combined with thevalve in the supply-pipe A*, and the loaded lever D of the friction-brake, that the said brake shall be held away from the friction-Wheel b when their-hive is opened,

substantially as herein set forth.

CHAS. R. OTIS. Witnesses:

JAMES S. TALBOT, N. H. STOCKWELL. 

